FAQ's

Festival Hours

Questions

• 1

  Can I purchase a day pass at the gates?

  Day passes will not be available. BayFest has a set cap of 50,000 weekend passes. If all passes are not sold prior to the festival, they can be purchased at the gates for $45.

• 2

  Can I bring a chair?

  For safety reasons, chairs will be allowed in designated areas at the Miller Lite/Wind Creek Casino and AT&T/Saad Healthcare Stages. No chairs are allowed at the Pepsi Stage. All chairs outside of the designated areas will be removed.

• 3

  How do I get in touch with BayFest?

  Either e-mail us or give us a call at 251-208-7835.

• 4

  Who decides which bands play at BayFest?

  BayFest has a dedicated programming committee consisting of music-lovers of all genres. This committee makes suggestions and approves recommendations from our booking agency. However, booking bands for a music festival is a much more complicated process than most people realize. In addition to trying to provide a wide variety of musical talent to please most tastes, consideration must be given to the BayFest budget and the schedules of artists who may not be touring, may be touring in another area completely or may even be in the recording studio working on a new album. All of these factors influence which acts appear at BayFest in any given year. However, we work very hard to make sure that the line-up is always the best it can be and provides an unparalleled entertainment value for Mobilians and those who travel distances to be with us.

• 5

  Who runs BayFest?

  BayFest, a nonprofit 501C3 corporation, is run by the very dedicated and entirely volunteer BayFest Board of Directors. These community leaders have given freely of their time and expertise to guide the festival into the success that it is today.

• 6

  How are local bands chosen?

  There are two categories for performers at BayFest. The first consists of national and regional acts and these are booked by a professional agency. The second consists of dedicated musical performers seeking a BayFest audience for their sound. Any band (whether local or not) may apply in this category, providing they are willing to play for the $250 honorarium that is paid per band. Once applications and demos are collected, a special local programming committee gathers for three successive nights and listens to each and every entry. These are all scored and the available local slots are filled beginning with the highest scorers.

• 7

  How can I become a volunteer at BayFest?

  If you are interested in volunteering for BayFest, click here.

• 8

  When is the line-up announced?

  The BayFest line-up is typically announced in early September when we have booked about 70% of the performers.

• 9

  How can my company be a BayFest sponsor?

  For information about becoming a BayFest sponsor, call 251-208-7835.

• 10

  Once I've entered the festival site, can I leave and return again the same day?

  After entering the festival site on any given day, you may leave and return by having your hand stamped at any gate on the way out. However, you CAN NOT re-enter the gate after 8:00PM.

• 11

  Can I bring my pet to BayFest?

  For the safety of all festival-goers and for the safety of your pet, no animals are allowed, except assistance animals.

• 12

  What happens to the money BayFest makes?

  BayFest is a nonprofit organization. When the festival makes a profit, some of the money is invested right back into the next year's BayFest and some is saved for a rain fund so that the festival's longevity is not compromised due to the threat of bad weather in the future.

• 13

  Is there handicapped availability at BayFest stages?

  Two BayFest stages have designated viewing areas for wheelchair users: the Miller Lite stage and the AT&T/SAAD HEALTHCARE stage. Please arrive early to access those areas and notify a security guard for assistance.

• 14

  Children

  Children 12 and under are free with a ticket holding adult. Children 13 and up are regular price.